Vit D doesn't prevent fractures but it's key to good health
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
It's that time of year - in the Northern Hemisphere, at least - when our bodies make less vitamin D. And with less sunlight, many people turn to supplements. But a new draft recommendation out today from a task force of prevention experts concludes, don't expect vitamin D supplements to protect against falls or bone fractures. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, promoting strong bones and muscles from childhood into adult life. It also supports a healthy immune system. Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, so reduced exposure during winter months can increase the risk of a deficiency. Supplements may help, but not enough to prevent bone breaks or falls as we age, says Dr. Goutham Rao, a family medicine doctor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
GOUTHAM RAO: Vitamin D, with or without calcium, is not useful for the prevention of fractures or the prevention of falls in postmenopausal women or in men over the age of 60.
AUBREY: Dr. Rao is a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a national group of prevention experts. They reviewed all the recent evidence on vitamin D and calcium supplements and concluded they offer no net benefit for the prevention of falls or fractures. But there's more to the message.
RAO: That doesn't mean that vitamin D and calcium are not useful overall for bone health, for other functions within the body.
AUBREY: In fact, the National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults get 600 to 800 international units of vitamin D per day, depending on your age. Some food, such as milk and yogurts, are fortified with vitamin D, but it can be tough to meet that target amount through diet and sunshine alone. For these reasons, many primary care doctors recommend supplements to patients - in fact, 1 in 3 older Americans take them. Dr. Wendolyn Gozansky is a geriatrician with Kaiser Permanente.
WENDOLYN GOZANSKY: Vitamin D actually has multiple effects on the body. It has effects on bone. It has direct effects on muscle and muscle cells and function. It has direct effects on immune cells and function.
AUBREY: And that's why you need adequate amounts across your lifespan, she says. Given all of this, the new task force conclusion may seem confusing. On one hand, vitamin D is important to bone health. On the other hand, supplements alone don't appear to protect against fractures as we age.
GOZANSKY: The key message really is that just because vitamin D is not the be-all, end-all to prevent falls and fractures doesn't mean that there still isn't a role for vitamin D just for general health.
AUBREY: When it comes to preventing falls, people need to take extra steps, and there's one strategy that can be very effective.
GOZANSKY: Weightbearing exercise and physical activity is probably the best thing to help prevent falls and fractures.
AUBREY: There's strong evidence to show that a combination of aerobic activity and resistance training can help protect bones and prevent muscle loss as we age.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS SONG, "SCAR TISSUE")
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.